Andhra Pradesh Matsyakara Samakhya State president Vasupalli Janakiram has appealed to the Central and State governments to initiate measures to ensure the release of fishermen from the State who are languishing in jails in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
In a statement released here on Sunday, Mr. Janakiram said that as many as 23 fishermen were arrested Pakistan for allegedly straying into their territorial waters last year.
“There has been no information on the fishermen languishing in the jail in Pakistan since their arrest. Their families back home here are worried and running from pillar to post seeking intervention of the authority concerned,” Mr. Janakiram said.
Similarly, a fishing boat from Visakhapatnam was intercepted in Bangladesh on charge of entering their territorial waters and eight fishermen were arrested on October 2, Mr. Janakiram said.
He said that on the intervention of Rajya Sabha Member V. Vijaya Sai Reddy and MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana, the Samakhya leaders went to Bangladesh and met the arrested fishermen. “Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the External Affairs Ministry should initiate steps for the early release of the fishermen arrested in Pakistan.
